• Plantronics BackBeat Sense review. Musical euphoria. Review of the Plantronics BackBeat Sense Bluetooth headset Always be online

    We have been familiar with the BackBeat line from Plantronics for several years. I still remember the Pro model, which had great sound, but was still a little big for me. But now, Plantronics has a BackBeat Sense model. A compact, open-type headset that resembles the Pro in many details, but is much sleeker. And of course, with an original design, as the company knows how to do it. Let's take a closer look at this model.

    Equipment and appearance of Plantronics BackBeat Sense

    In the store you will receive the headset in a beautiful white box. In fact, this is just a wrapper, and the box inside is black. It looks premium, however, these headphones are really top-end, and they cost a lot. At the start of sales, they could be bought for 12,990 rubles, but now the price varies around 10,000 rubles.

    Plantronics BackBeat Sense Box

    Open the box... On the inside of the lid it says “Designed in Santa Cruiz, California.” Designers from California do not eat their bread in vain; I must tell you, the headset really looks very cool.

    Plantronics BackBeat Sense open box

    In addition to the gadget itself, in the box I found a branded case with a pocket for wires, a microUSB cable, an audio cable with a control panel, which is quite strong, which means it will last a long time, as well as documentation (but why does a Russian person need it, right?).

    Plantronics BackBeat Sense Audio Cable with Remote Control

    Let's move on to the Plantronics BackBeat Sense headset itself. Its headband is metal, but thanks to special slots, the design is lightweight to the maximum. Indeed, the headset is practically not felt on your head. Even after working at the computer for a long time, there is no discomfort in these ears.

    Plantronics BackBeat Sense Metal Arm with Slots

    The temple features the Plantronics logo as well as special marks. They are needed to extend the headband the same distance on both sides. Or, if you are not the only one who uses them at home, you can remember your size and not have to adjust the headphones again each time, simply moving the earpiece to the desired number.

    Plantronics BackBeat Sense

    In addition to the headband itself, the headphones are held on the head due to a soft bridge on top. The ear pads of the headset are flat and made of eco leather. The solution is good, but my ears sweat a little in the headset. However, this is due to the ambient temperature, and I don’t remember headphones of a similar design in which the ears do not get warm. Each Plantronics BackBeat Sense ear pad has a perforation that also indicates whether it is a left or right speaker. The cups are made of plastic, but they look nice, although dust is visible on them, but this is due to the black color, and not because of the material. In addition, the earcups rotate 360 ​​degrees, so you can adjust them to fit any ears.

    Plantronics BackBeat Sense Ear Pads

    The buttons are designed very minimalistically and are all rubberized. On the left are buttons for controlling the player and a lever for increasing and decreasing the volume. On the right is a button to answer a call (it also activates Siri or Google Assistant). There is also a lever to turn on the headset (if you are using a Bluetooth connection), a 3.5 mm audio jack and a microUSB port for charging.

    Left earcup Plantronics BackBeat Sense
    Right earcup Plantronics BackBeat Sense

    The headset also has a second modification, white with brown ear pads. But, to be honest, I prefer the combination of black and brown, it looks more stylish or something.

    Plantronics BackBeat Sense in white

    Plantronics BackBeat Sense Features

    Sense is not only a beautiful and easy-to-remember name, not only a hint at the lightness of the headset, but also a reference to the sensors that are in the headset. There are sensors here that determine whether the headphones are on or not. For example, if you remove Plantronics BackBeat Sense from your head, the music will automatically stop. And if you receive a call when the headset is on the table, then simply by putting it on you will answer the call. Comfortable? In my opinion, very much.

    This all works, of course, only if you are connected via Bluetooth. When using an audio cable, no tricks work; you can only listen to music and talk through a headset, nothing more. Bluetooth here is Class 1, which means that at a distance of up to 100 meters the headset will be paired with a smartphone or tablet, however, I don’t think that you will ever have to move away from your phone at such a distance. By the way, the headset can be simultaneously connected to two devices, for example, a laptop and a smartphone. This is useful if you listen to music from your laptop, but when there is an incoming call you will be able to answer it.

    Another interesting feature that migrated to Sense from the Plantronics BackBeat Pro model is OpenMic. The button to activate it is located on the bottom left cup (red button in the photo above). This feature turns on the microphones in the headset and starts sending audio to the speakers. Thus, if you are riding the subway and need to listen to station announcements, or are walking down the street and need to talk to a person, you don’t have to take off the headset. Just press a button, the music is paused (when you press the button again, the music will start again) and you hear what is happening around you. This is very convenient, especially considering that without this function you can hardly hear anything in the headset; the sound insulation here is good.

    Buttons on Plantronics BackBeat Sense

    The headset lasts about 18 hours on a single charge during music playback, which is very good. If you only use it on the way to work and back, you can charge it once a week. It will take about 2-3 hours to fully charge.

    By the way, there is also a proprietary Plantronics Hub application for the headset. There you can update the software, change the notification language (as many as 14 are available), enable or disable voice notifications, enable or disable the sensor. In addition, you can search for the headset by sending a signal to it if you don’t remember where you put it in the apartment or who left it on the desk in the office.

    Plantronics BackBeat Sense Sound and Experience

    The speakers of Plantronics BackBeat Sense are large, 32 mm. They are optimized for working with mobile devices, which is clear from the Bluetooth 4.0 profile. The headset supports aptX and AAC codecs, so it has plenty of possibilities. Another question is that smartphones and players are not always able to play such sound. However, even on standard tracks from Yandex.Music, the headset behaves well. The sound quality is good, there is bass, you can feel the volume, and there are no artifacts or connection breaks, which is often the problem with wireless headphones.

    Plantronics BackBeat Sense Headset

    I liked the sound insulation in this headset. Of course, it’s stupid to compare it with the closed BackBeat Pro, it’s several orders of magnitude better. Here, however, some sounds from outside can be heard, and those around you will know that you are listening if you turn it up to maximum (but try not to go deaf). But for such a form factor, the insulation is at a strong 4+ level.

    Plantronics has once again made a great headset. Although I would use it more as headphones, the microphone is needed not only for calls, but also to hear surrounding sounds when necessary. I had no complaints about the design or functionality. Only the ears sweat a little in the leather ear pads, but this is a characteristic of the hot summer and of each individual person. As for the rest, BackBeat Sense pays off its considerable cost (about 10,000 rubles).

      Design 10

    Plantronics BACKBEAT SENSE Black headphones work via the Bluetooth wireless system. Provide the user with high-quality stereo sound. Designed for complete relaxation while listening to music and communicating. The model has an unusual design with a thin, weightless headband, a soft bridge on top and buttons on the speaker bowl. A simple tap on the left earbud switches the audio track and stops or plays the music.

    If you buy Plantronics BACKBEAT SENSE headphones (202649-01), the user will be completely immersed in the music thanks to the closed design of the speakers and pleasant sound at all frequencies.

    Communication with headphones in one language

    Intelligent systems simplify interaction with the device. The wireless model is equipped with sensors to stop and start music playback when you remove and put on the stereo headphones.

    Buying Plantronics BACKBEAT SENSE headphones means listening to audio at a great distance from your smartphone, the maximum distance between the base unit and the device is up to 100 m. Supports simultaneous control of 2 smartphones and tablets.

    Always be online

    Complete immersion is created by the isolation of the speakers and long-lasting operation on a single charge. Daily activities will not interfere with listening to audio tracks thanks to the built-in battery with a battery life of up to 18 hours. Once the charge is exhausted, the charging cable is directly connected to the Bluetooth headphones; there is no need to remove the headphones. When a call comes in, the music will pause.

    Ultimate user comfort

    Plantronics Bluetooth BACKBEAT SENSE stereo headphones have soft padding on the ear pads. The material includes a memory effect and adapts to the user, eliminating pressure on the ears. The self-adjusting headband will improve comfort. It's easy to forget about headphones if it weren't for the clear sound of music. If you need to hear external sounds, the OpenMic function is activated, transmitting sound from the microphone to the speakers.

    If the user cannot find the headphones, there is an option to turn on the sound signal or use the BackTrack function to determine the last place of use.

    Advantages of the model

    Plantronics BACKBEAT SENSE headphones delight thanks to:

    • built-in Bluetooth system class 1. Plays music at a maximum distance of 100 m from the transmitting device with remote control support;
    • work throughout the entire waking period, up to 18 hours of battery power;
    • Smart Sensor technology. Removing and putting on the device stops streaming music;
    • Multipoint technology supporting up to 2 wireless devices simultaneously;
    • voice control;
    • effective noise reduction system;
    • high-quality sound using DSP technology.

    The shelf of beautiful universal headsets has arrived.

    Thin, wireless and portable - it's Plantronics BackBeat SENSE. The first wireless headphones on the market that women absolutely love. Worth taking note before the New Year.

    We'll look at the design, but we'll also listen. Because we men are interested in simple things: how they sit and sound. We'll leave the rest to our beauties.

    Plantronics - well done


    The set includes a carrying case with two zippered pockets.

    I remember the company from the time it flooded the market with affordable Bluetooth headsets - and that was more than 10 years ago. Since then, everything has improved: from the approach to case materials to sound quality.

    Today, Plantronics headphones are very good, and not only budget ones, but also premium models. For example, we reviewed one of the first on the market with active noise cancellation and a decent design. Judging by the comments, many readers later acquired these and dote on them.

    • very, very light, almost weightless;
    • made well and firmly;
    • they don’t look like “burdocks” on your head, it’s not embarrassing to wear;
    • work for a very long time on one charge;
    • have a Russian-speaking AI assistant (needs to be flashed);
    • have one awesome feature.

      • One awesome feature

      There is a small red button at the bottom of one of the headphones. I have been dreaming about it since childhood, when I put on the very first headphones in my life.

      Backbeat SENSE can temporarily mute music and reproduce everything that happens around you. By pressing the red key, the track becomes very quiet, and the built-in microphone starts working instead. It turns out that you begin to hear everything that is happening around you, but without taking off your headphones.

      This is especially important because SENSE has simply amazing sound insulation, even better than my current “favorites” from Bose. Every time you need to hear something, you don’t need to pause the track: you just turn on this mode.

      Cunning: this way you can eavesdrop on others while pretending to listen to music. The microphone amplifies voices;)

      Who needs it: cyclists, motorcyclists, runners, office workers and students. To everyone who should not completely forget about the world around them for the sake of their safety.

      I demand that this feature be added to All wireless headphones on the market. Of course, no one will hear me, which is a pity.

      Wear sensor

      If you remove the headphones, music playback pauses. And if you put it back on, it starts from the same place. You don't need to press any buttons.

      The headphones are built in smart sensors, monitoring whether the owner is wearing them. This is also a feature that other wireless headphones lack... By the way, a similar system is also found in other headphones from Plantronics. For example, in the already mentioned PRO.

      These are also good headphones

      Of course, you shouldn't buy SENSE just because of the spy function. How about great design? I received a white and brown model for testing, and it instantly attracts attention.

      In general, there are two modifications on the market, including a black and brown one. The latter is emphatically masculine (my IMHO).

      The headband was made double for comfortable wearing: the plastic headband is covered with a soft pad with leather trim, and a steel plate with a logo serves as an additional stiffening rib, a kind of bumper that ensures strength and minimizes extraneous noise when moving.

      The headphones themselves are distinctly large, with a wide soft “cushion” and leather-covered ear pads. The perforation in the center hides the acoustic mesh and 40mm open-back speakers. When wearing them don't put pressure and, oddly enough, they don’t get very hot. Most likely there are air vents cut somewhere.

      While I was testing them, it just got colder - as it turned out, SENSE can be worn a la a hat for the ears. Warmth plus your favorite music without wires. And you don’t have to take out your phone with trembling hands.

      Bluetooth is the future

      Now everyone is saying that Apple is about to abandon the audio port in the next iPhone. Therefore, queues will form for Bluetooth headphones, and many interesting models will appear on the market.

      But there is no need to wait for them, because now there is enough choice for every taste. SENSE are perfect as a wireless headset: they have a built-in microphone and remote control for playback (and conversation too). The buttons are not touch sensitive, for which special thanks. The click is clear and sharp. Songs change instantly, sound delay is minimal - just like the best representatives of the market.

      In addition to Bluetooth, the headphones are equipped with an NFC module, thanks to which owners of Android smartphones will be able to “pair” the headset with one touch and bypass the traditional process of searching for a device in the BT menu. It also doesn’t hurt to add it to the iPhone, but Plantronics won’t help us here...

      During testing, I threw the headphones into my bag, and the bag and I were more than once separated by several thick walls. Not a single break;) Bluetooth Class 1 according to the passport gives up to 100 meters of operating range.

      The total operating time of the headphones in wireless mode is “I have never charged it in two weeks.” Okay, according to the passport - 18 hours in constant work mode. The number is not out of the blue, I now have 10%. Excellent result. According to the manufacturer, it takes 2.5 hours to fully charge.

      You can also connect two devices to SENSE at the same time. As soon as the first one stops playing something, the headphones will switch to the second one. And back.

      Sound

      Wireless headphones aren't usually expected to sound amazing. However, Backbeat SENSE pleased us in this regard as well.

      To describe it briefly: airy, bright, with a biting, but not guttural bass. Modern tracks in the style of trip-hop and EDM are perfectly revealed, I really like the presentation of jazz and instrumental compositions. Bright vocals are also a plus, as is a high volume reserve.

      There are also disadvantages: the wireless signal cannot cope with the powerful blasts of fast power metal. But I don’t think that a bearded metalhead will wear ears with this design :) For others, they play exactly as one would expect.

      I didn’t like the sound of the cable included in the kit (which, by the way, also has a control unit and microphone). This was expected: when the wireless mode is started, the headphones have a DAC and a signal improver, leveling both the shortcomings of BT and some weaknesses of the speakers themselves.

      In short, these ears should be listened to wirelessly :)

    At IFA, many journalists from Europe will just get acquainted with the new Plantronics BackBeat Sense headset, but we offer you a review. An interesting product for 12,990 rubles, perhaps the most interesting in this format...

    Design, construction

    A little history. Plantronics has been developing the BackBeat line for quite some time; these are stereo headsets of various formats. A lot has changed since the release of the first device. The unsightly appearance is a thing of the past, and now the BackBeat line can easily be set as an example to some other manufacturers. There has been a division into several branches, in addition to the simplest Go (the most compact wireless headphones), you can choose BackBit Fit for sports or BackBeat Pro, large over-ear headphones with many interesting features.

    Little by little, people are starting to recognize Plantronics and become interested in the products. I dare to suggest that after the release of Pro in Russia, many not only heard about the brand for the first time, but (I hope) were also satisfied.

    What do Plantronics want to say? It seems to me that the idea is very simple: technological products can also be beautiful and convenient. To offer the consumer a little more than others, isn’t this a dream for any modern brand? It's gratifying that Plantronics is succeeding in this so far. I’m ready to show this using the example of Sense.

    The packaging is very high quality, the photographs of ocean waves inspire philosophical thoughts, the name was chosen very accurately. On the one hand, Sense is a nod to the sensors built into the cups. On the other hand, it shows the lightness of the device. And, of course, this is a sonorous and memorable name, not like the BHH-852W. Many companies should learn and adopt this naming system; it’s easier for people to make a choice when a thing has a name. In a beautiful box, under a layer of wrapping paper, there is a cover made of light, hard fabric; it has two pockets, the main one for the headset and an additional one for cables. The microUSB cable is of its own design, a nice touch. The additional cable is quite thick, with a large and convenient remote control. The headset works great in passive mode, that is, when the battery runs out, you can plug in the cable and use the remote control. Compatible with any Apple devices, from smartphones to computers. Cable design in company style, curved plug. With a wired connection, the buttons on the headset itself do not work.








    In life, Sense is much smaller and more elegant than in the photos. The thin metal headband seems weightless due to the cutouts in the center, but it’s nice that they didn’t forget the risks to push out the same areas on the left and right. Engraving with the company name is another nice detail. The headset is held on the head not only by the ear pads, but also by the jumper on top. The cups are flat, small, reminiscent of Pro in style - microphones are hidden under the perforations, the buttons are covered with rubber pads, the main material is plastic. But the headset does not look cheap, like the Pro, it is a technological thing where it is quite difficult to determine the price at first glance. The buttons are well designed; by the way, there is a jog wheel on the left cup; by turning it from side to side, you can adjust the volume. On the right is a multifunctional button for answering a call, and there is also a neat light indicator - several dots. To activate the pairing mode, you need to move the power lever, however, I won’t dwell on the control features, everything is written in.










    The cups are designed in an extremely interesting way, they are brown eco-leather, the R and L markings are right there, you choose right away, and it’s impossible to make a mistake. The purple base is visible through the perforations, the color is reminiscent of Pro, such continuity is very pleasing.




    After a couple of days of use, I can say that dust and hairs do not accumulate here much, given that different materials and textures are used, Sense looks good all the time.

    A little about management. On the left are the playback buttons, they press very well, and not too hard or soft. There is fast forwarding and the ability to mute the microphone. You can answer a call not only by pressing a button, but also if you put the headset on your head while it is lying on the table, the sensors will work.



    This is how the headset looks on your head.



    Not to say it's too big.

    The headset is available in two versions: white with brown and black with brown. I like the option that appears in the review.


    Convenience

    I decided to talk separately about ergonomics, since you always expect a catch from such headsets - some look great in pictures, but fit absolutely disgustingly in real life. This is not the story of Sense, here the cups are flat and have a fairly large diameter, the memory foam is moderately soft, so the fit is very comfortable. The light headband is not felt, nor is the bridge underneath it. The ear pads and trim are made of eco-leather, but I already wrote about this above. For ergonomics the rating is "excellent".


    Peculiarities

    Bluetooth Class 1 is supported, which means an extended operating range with a wide variety of devices (this does not depend on the Bluetooth class of your device). It claims to work at a range of 100 meters, but in reality you are unlikely to move such a distance from your smartphone. At home you can listen to the headset everywhere, there are no artifacts. The cups have built-in sensors, when you remove Sense, the music is paused, as soon as the headphones are on your ears, playback continues. The function is useful and works great, but there is one complaint: if you move the cup, playback may be interrupted. After this, the sensors stop working, you need to remove and put on Sense again.

    It is possible to work with two devices at the same time, for example, with a laptop and a smartphone, you can listen to music and immediately answer an incoming call. Considering that the voice quality here is okay, this is a very realistic scenario for an office or if you work at home, in a cafe.


    OpenMic function

    An extremely interesting feature, on the left earpiece there is a button to turn on OpenMic; the microphones in the headset begin to amplify surrounding sounds, but not to extreme levels, but, let’s say, just for your information. For example, behind the wall in my apartment I hear the kettle humming, the iPad working with a movie - I can’t hear it without Sense. That is, it’s something like tactical headphones, they amplify the sounds of footsteps in the grass and dampen the sound of a gunshot. How is this feature useful? You can talk to a person without taking off your headphones. Well, or you can even overhear something. If you buy Sense, be sure to try it - you can listen through the wall to what is happening in another room. The conversation may not be heard entirely clearly, but who knows.

    When using OpenMic, playback is paused and then resumed.


    Opening hours

    The stated operating time is 18 hours with music playback at full volume; a traditional microUSB connector is used for charging. There are voice prompts about operating hours; you can choose from 14 languages. Charging will take about 2.5 hours. The DeepSleep function is supported, the headset goes into sleep mode and does not consume battery power.


    Plantronics Hub

    The program is available for Windows and Mac; there is also a version for mobile devices, but the computer version has more capabilities. What are these opportunities?

    • Change the language for notifications, 14 languages ​​available
    • Software update
    • Turn voice notifications on or off. Let me remind you that notifications here will help you understand the remaining battery life and connection status. Russian language is supported.
    • Turning the sensor on and off

    There are also a number of other functions. After installing the program, I tried to connect Sense, but nothing happened, the program did not see the headset. After rebooting nothing changed. Perhaps the device is simply not supported yet.

    Then I downloaded the mobile version for iOS. It is indicated that the program includes a utility for Apple Watch, I will try that later. What's there?

    • You can find your headset by sending a signal to it
    • View operating instructions

    That's all. There are no settings here. To put it mildly, the functionality leaves much to be desired. We are waiting for a normal version for computers to appear.

    Music and sound

    The quality of speech transmission during a conversation is at a good level, you can calmly talk to a person without raising your voice too much. This is a big plus and seriously expands the functionality of the model. There is DSP support based on two microphones.

    If we talk about music, there is also a lot of interesting things here. aptX and AAC are supported, 32 mm speakers are optimized for working with mobile devices, Bluetooth 4.0 profile, the class is mentioned above. The range here is amazing. Passive noise insulation is a C grade, but this is not Pro, so I won’t criticize it. The sound quality, as always, depends on both the track and the device; if your gadget supports aptX, then Sense will reveal its capabilities even more powerfully. But even with the iPhone 6, the sound quality is very good, there are no artifacts inherent in wireless models, you can feel the volume, and the headset copes well with music of different genres. Sound-wise, it's not the BackBeat Pro, a notch below, but I'm sure most consumers will rate the Sense's sound an A+.





    Conclusions

    An interesting point is that if the headset is on the table and you put it on to listen to music, a notification sounds about the battery charge and the connected device. This triggers the sensor. A small thing, but a pleasant one. And in general, the whole Sense consists of such pleasant little things. A modern headset in the spirit of the times. The price in Russia is already known, it is 12,990 rubles, it will go on sale in a month (in the USA the price is 180 dollars). There is nothing similar in design, functionality and price on the market. As in the case of BackBeat Pro, the product is in its niche, which guarantees good sales at the end of 2015 and in 2016; the technologies here will be relevant in a couple of years. I hope the eco-leather will withstand heavy use or the ear pads can be replaced.

    Be sure to pay attention to Sense, a very interesting gadget.

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